HAS REMOTE WORK CHANGED THE TRAVEL LANDSCAPE?

While some workers return to the office this year, many others continue to work remotely indefinitely. This seismic shift has changed where people live and work and, increasingly, how they travel.

In the first quarter of 2022, nearly 25% of job postings at the 50,000 largest companies in the U.S. and Canada were for permanently remote positions, according to the job listing service Ladders. That’s up from a mere 4% before the pandemic.

“It has enabled us to extend trips, leave early and work different hours,” says Kirsten Reckman, a credit risk manager based in Tampa, Florida, who works remotely. “My boss is very accommodating as long as the work gets done.”

Reckmen’s experience reflects a larger trend. One in five travelers this summer plan to do work on the road, according to a report from Deloitte, an international professional services network. Of these so-called “laptop luggers,” 4 in 5 plan to extend the length of their trips because of schedule flexibility.

THE RISE OF ‘BLEISURE’ TRAVEL

Remote work has blurred the line between business and personal travel. Rather than leaving home rarely for vacation, remote workers can travel at any time. This has the potential to upend longstanding travel trends.

“Many travelers who have the opportunity are choosing to combine remote working with trips for a change of scene as well as maximizing PTO,” or paid time off, explains Mark Crossey, traveler expert at Skyscanner, a travel search engine and agency. “Workstations allow people with flexible home and work lives to become ‘half tourists’ for a period of time.”